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The following story appeared in The Daily Texan, the official newspaper of the University of Texas at Austin, on May 1, 2019.
Location of “The West” statue hinders students from interpreting the sculpture
Bonny Chu, May 1, 2019
As one of the University’s first contemporary art sculptures, “The West” created by Donald Lipski has been featured on the east side of the UT Tower for more than a decade.
The location of these two metal, spherical buoys in relation to the Tower has raised many questions among students about its meaning. But, Landmarks, the campus public art program, did not intend to reinforce a phallic interpretation of “The West” while installing it, Landmarks director Andree Bober said.
“We realized that (this interpretation) would happen once we installed it,” said Bober. “And, we decided that it was not a great concern. There are many different ways to interpret its meanings, and that’s part of what the artist intends. This is not linear.”
However, the location of the sculpture has limited the many other interpretations of the piece.
“The (phallic) idea almost became a common knowledge thing,” neuroscience senior Tamanna Basri said. “No one even has the room to make their opinion before someone tells them about it. They devalue the sculpture, and the idea just spreads.”
Virginia Beshears, a studio art and advertising junior, said the phallic image was immediately pointed out to her when she saw the sculpture for the first time as a high school student. But, Beshears said she does not view the art piece solely as a phallus.
“I have a deep love for the absurdity behind ‘The West,’” Beshears said. “Basically, Lipski’s entire concept behind the piece is rendering the buoys and pennies useless. I think Lipski was making a joke about masculinity, capitalism and our preconceived notions about art.”
There are many ways someone can interpret the sculpture. For some, this piece implies uncharted territory of the western United States, according to the Landmarks’ website. For others, the shape of the buoys suggests conquering the unknown with masculine and military energy. The deliberately corroded pennies attached to the surface of the sculpture also suggest capitalism and Western values.
Beshears said the location helps reinforce her personal interpretation.
“I regularly wonder why ‘The West’ was put where it was,” Beshears said. “I go back and forth between thinking it was a happy accident and hoping it was a Lipski fan wanting to further the joke he was making with ‘The West.’”
A scenic view of the Main Building (known colloquially as The Tower or UT Tower) as seen from the marble benches at the intersection of University Ave. and Martin Luther King Blvd. on south side of the University of Texas campus.
The Main Building is a structure at the center of the University of Texas at Austin campus just north of the State Capitol Building and Downtown Austin. The Main Building's 307-foot (94 m) tower has 28 floors and is one of the most recognizable symbols of the university and the city.
Designed by Paul Philippe Cret, the Beaux-Arts style building was constructed between 1934-1937, replacing an earlier Victorian-Gothic style Main Building that stood on the campus from 1882 to 1934. The 28-story building, including an outdoor observation deck, rises to a height of 307 ft (94 m). At the top of the Tower is a carillon of 56 bells which is played daily. The building now mainly contains administrative offices, along with a three-floor life sciences library and the Miriam Lutcher Stark Library of early and significant editions of English Romanticist works.
The University of Texas at Austin, shortened to UT Austin, UT, or Texas, is a public research university and the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, the University of Texas is composed of over 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students and over 24,000 faculty and staff.
A Public Ivy, it is a major center for academic research. The university houses seven museums and seventeen libraries, including the LBJ Presidential Library and the Blanton Museum of Art.
The 307-foot-tall Main Building at the University of Texas at Austin rises into the cloudy Texas sky.
Warm evening light ignites a towering cumulus above the University of Texas campus in Austin. The UT Tower anchors the scene while layered stratus slice the sky and the city settles into shadow—an atmospheric, golden-hour “cloud-as-monument” moment.
The 307-foot-tall Main Building at the University of Texas at Austin appears to hide behind a nearby grove of trees.
The Main Building (UT Tower) at the University of Texas—inscribed with a quote from John 8:32—reaches into the sky over Austin.
In the storm set, there were two nice lightning shots, and this was the second one. After this lightning, I was starting to get a little concerned that where I was standing might not be the best place to stand in a storm. ( :
Late-day panorama of downtown Austin from Covert Park at Mount Bonnell. The skyline rises above a deep green canopy while towering cumulus catch warm evening light. A clean horizon and restrained contrast keep attention on the cloud towers.
An aerial view looking north along Congress Avenue, Austin, from a position above Lady Bird Lake. Several of Austin's iconic buildings are visible here. The tall tower on the left is The Austonian and the mirrored building on the right is the Frost Bank Tower. In the centre is the Texas State Capitol and the University of Texas Tower can be seen poking up in the distance just to the right of the Austonian.
The Littlefield Fountain—a memorial to University of Texas students and alumni who died in World War I sculpted by Pompeo Coppini—is overshadowed by the University’s Main Building in Austin.
The 307-foot-tall Main Building at the University of Texas at Austin. In 1967, this building became the site of the infamous sniper killings of 14 people perpetrated by Charles Whitman.
The Main Building (known colloquially as The Tower or UT Tower) is a structure at the center of the University of Texas at Austin campus in Downtown Austin. The Main Building's 307-foot (94 m) tower has 27 floors and is one of the most recognizable symbols of the university and the city.
The Beaux-Arts style building, designed by Paul Philippe Cret, was constructed between 1934-1937, replacing an earlier Victorian-Gothic style Main Building that stood on the campus from 1882 to 1934. The 28-story structure, including an outdoor observation deck, rises to a height of 307 ft (94 m). At the top of the Tower is a carillon of 56 bells which is played daily. The building now mainly contains administrative offices, along with a three-floor life sciences library and the Miriam Lutcher Stark Library of early and significant editions of English Romanticist works.
University of Texas Tower Shooting
On August 1, 1966, after stabbing his mother and his wife to death the night before, Charles Whitman, a former Marine, took rifles and other weapons to the observation deck atop the Main Building and opened fire indiscriminately on people on the surrounding campus and streets. Over the next 96 minutes he shot and killed 15 people, including an unborn child and one final victim who died from his injuries in 2001. Whitman also injured 31 others. The incident ended when a policeman and a civilian reached Whitman and shot him dead. At the time, the attack was the deadliest mass shooting by a lone gunman in U.S. history.
Following the shootings, the tower observation deck was closed. The various bullet holes were repaired and the tower was reopened in 1968. It was closed again in 1975 following four suicides. After a stainless steel lattice and other security features were installed, it was again reopened in 1999, but only to by-appointment guided tours, and all visitors are screened by metal detectors.
The University of Texas at Austin, shortened to UT Austin, UT, or Texas, is a public research university and the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, the University of Texas is composed of over 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students and over 24,000 faculty and staff.
A Public Ivy, it is a major center for academic research, with research expenditures totaling $679.8 million for fiscal year 2018. The university houses seven museums and seventeen libraries, including the LBJ Presidential Library and the Blanton Museum of Art.
Sources:
Main Building (University of Texas at Austin), Wikipedia, Retrieved July 19, 2021.
University of Texas Tower Shooting, Wikipedia, Retrieved July 19, 2021.
University of Texas at Austin, Wikipedia, Retrieved July 19, 2021.
The University of Texas Tower shining bright in the school's burnt orange color on Saturday evening in honor of the UT Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving teams as Big 12 Conference Champs.
Sunday morning walk around Austin, TX. I focussed on the street art of the moment and architecture of the UT campus area from 24th street to 14th street around Guadalupe street.
Downtown Skyline, Austin, TX
Austin is a medium sized city in the United States so as skylines go it is not nearly as impressive as the bigger cities in the US and around the world. In the last several years, however, there has been a residential building boom with a lot of new condominium construction. The tallest buildings in the city are now mostly residential instead of commercial.
At 56 stories, the tallest building is currently The Austonian, a luxury condo. It is nearing completion and is the tallest all residential tower in Texas.
Explore #252 | 12/07/2009
University of Texas Tower, Austin, TX
A rare site with the University of Texas Tower decked out in Burnt Orange with the Number 1. The University only does this when a team wins a National Championship. This was taken two days ago to honor the Texas Swimming and Diving Team's NCAA title. The last time the tower was so lit was 5 years ago when the Texas Football team won the National Championships at the Rose Bowl.
This was my first real image with my new 7D. I was surrounded by 8 - 10 photographer's with tripods taking a similar shot. There were also another 10 or so people with point and shoots recording the historic moment. Thanks to my friend bill78704 for mentioning the photo op. I also ran into my Flickr friend Jim Nix / Nomadic Pursuits at the event.
The University of Texas tower during the 2015 graduation ceremony. This is a single frame. The shot was taken from the rooftop of a nearby building.
The fireworks scheduled for the previous day were cancelled due to rain and it looked like the following day would follow the same path. However, the rain passed and I made a last minute run to catch the fireworks. I was pleased with the final product because I was fortunate to catch multiple fireworks in a single frame, with minimal planning and setup time.
A memory photo made up of 5 images taken with the same camera and prime lens at University of Texas for 'The Color Inside' new Music For Skyspace as part of FUSEBOX.
The UT Tower shines Burnt Orange on 11/01/25 in honor of the six 2015 Distinguished Alumnus Award recipients.
UT Austin, Texas.
(HDR photo)
Littlefield Fountain on the University of Texas campus in Austin.
I was walking past the fountain on my way back from taking some other pictures. I almost didn't stop to shoot it because the sun had risen quite far and I thought it might not turn out so great. Glad I stopped...boring sky but I like it anyway.
It's almost that time again for #students everywhere. #backtoschool. Some have already started. #UTtower #utaustin The University of Texas at Austin
Photo of the UT Tower, which is lit 41 in tribute to George H. W. Bush. The photo was taken from the Home Economics Building courtyard, looking south through the limestone and iron gate, up Inner Campus Drive, and the overhanging Texas Live Oaks.
Unless noted otherwise, this image cannot be used without my written permission.
The 'Greetings From Austin Texas' postcard printed on the back of a home sales trailer (the missing pieces of A and N are windows) at the former Robert Mueller Airport site, June 7, 2007.
Copyright 2007, Steve Hopson.
All rights reserved. No use without license.
The vista of the UT Tower on the campus of the University of Texas is not often seen through an apocalyptic downpour, but so it was on July 5. I was virtually alone on campus huddled beneath my inadequate umbrella and peering over the rain-boiled pool and statuary.
The statue, by Pompeo Coppini, was installed in 1933 after over a decade of work, commemorating the military dead of World War I. Columbia stands astride a chariot attended by an eagle, being pulled by four hippocamps (those would be mythological mer-horses), the lead stallions being ridden by mermen.
#lightthetower The view from over the Texas Longhorns Athletics - Men's Swimming & Diving team as they get their photo taken down below. They won their 12th NCAA Championship. Tower video coming tomorrow. The University of Texas at Austin. Texas Longhorns.
Late at night after a Texas Longhorn's victory in football, the UT Tower shines orange on the edge of the ever expanding Austin skyline. Pictured in this downtown panorama are the tip of the Texas state capitol, the iconic Frost Tower, and the tallest building in Austin (currently), the Austonian. From what I have read, this Austin skyline will be almost unrecognizable within 5 years with all the current and planned construction. That should keep me busy as I continue to photograph my favorite Texas city and its landscapes for years to come.
All images are available for license or as prints.
Love this town.
That's Lamar Blvd. Bridge in the foreground followed by the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge. After that we have the train trestle. In the distance all lit up is the 1st St. Bridge. Behind that is the Congress Ave. Bridge. By the way, that orange dot to the far left is the UT Tower lit up orange for Jordan Spieth's win at the U.S. Open. This was shot June 22.